


This Is Why We Fight

by CallMeCaptainOrSir



Category: Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 08:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15360126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeCaptainOrSir/pseuds/CallMeCaptainOrSir
Summary: “He's right, you know.”“What?”“Stark, he's right. You're both warriors, but you’re Achilles. He's Hector.”Tony and Steve argue. Steve just wants to be a good team leader, but he needs Bucky to set him on the right path. He always does.





	This Is Why We Fight

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to look at the relationship between Steve and Bucky, coming from their youth as the little shit and the one who pulled him out of his messes.
> 
> Thanks to [SingARebelSong](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MVPYurio/pseuds/SingARebelSong) for reading through this and just being awesome to yell about Marvel with!

“We are soldiers!” Steve pressed his palms against the table, “We've made the same sacrifices for the same reasons!”

“No.” Tony stood by the door, profile thrown into sharp contrast by the white light of the hall. “You are a soldier who died in his war. I was a civilian hostage, I woke up everyday torn between hope for escape and refusal to become their weapon. You got to wake up and come home, my home turned on me.”

“Tony, we fight for the same things.”

“Yeah, yeah we do. But not for the same reasons.” He took a slow breath and walked away.

* * *

 

Steve closed the doors to the library and leaned against them heavily. He jumped as a voice sounded from behind the curtains.

“He's right, you know.”

“What?” 

Bucky parted the heavy velvet and hopped down from his perch. “Stark, he's right. You're both warriors, but you’re Achilles. He's Hector.”

Steve raised his eyebrows and gestured for him to continue.

“I mean, you fought because you thought it was right,” The sniper seemed relaxed, but there was an edge to his words, “because everyone else did it, because you wanted to protect people.”

“So does he!”

“But the first person he learned to protect was himself.”

Steve’s eyes narrowed, “Whatever the press may say, he's not a selfish man.”

“I- that's not what I meant.” Bucky dropped onto the couch with a huff, “I mean...he learned to take a punch when his father took a swing at him, not when he stepped in between another kid and  _ their _ dad.”

“I didn't know…” Steve floundered. He couldn’t picture it but it fit. His friend grabbed him by the wrist and tugged him to the couch besides him. “How did you know?”

“I've always been a methodical planner, and it was a high profile hit to pull off. I had to know everything, and Stevie...the man I killed wasn't the man you knew.”

“Oh.” The captain leaned against the man besides him and Bucky wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

“Yeah. He wasn’t fighting in Afghanistan, and honestly I doubt you would have been either. He shouldn’t have been there at all, I can’t believe they sent him into an active combat zone.”

“Everyone on this team has been through hell to get here.”

“Steve, we were trained for that. Nat, Clint, Thor. We knew that was a risk. And yes, we all live with it, just….don't pretend to know what it's like, carrying around a hunk of metal in place of a part of you.”

They sat together for a long moment. They hadn’t in a long time but once, years ago, they’d sat in the same way and watched the world fall apart around them.

“There are other civvies on the team. Banner, Jan, Hank, they don’t get special treatment.”

“Yeah, they do. You protect Jan, you all do.” Steve started to protest but he kept going, “She hasn’t been hurt by this world yet, and you let her choose how much to expose herself to. I’m not saying she can’t handle it, that woman is terrifying, but she hasn’t been dropped into the deep end.”

“Hank?” Steve quirked an eyebrow, “It’s no secret he doesn’t want to be here.”

“Yeah, but he can leave.” Bucky shrugged,  “He stays for her and that’s always been his choice. And Banner...Is he even a part of the team? Hulk is, but I’ve never even met the scientist.”

Steve leaned his head against the metal shoulder. “I’ve always known what my team needed. It was simpler, with the commandos.”  
“Steve, if Tony can live in the same building as me, I’m sure you can learn how to be on the same team as him. There’s always a learning curve, you’re just used to moving faster than you used to.”

“Thanks Buck.”

**Author's Note:**

> I think Bucky's pulled Steve out of enough shit that he can talk straight with him. In my world, it's what gets him through escaping hydra and kinda joining the team. His best friend his his rock, the one thing that has changed just enough but loves him just like he always did. He never lets Steve apologize for him or try to move the blame, Bucky's just honest. There's nothing else to lose at this point so why the hell not.


End file.
